MacBook Air vs. MacBook Air - Fight!

Quick, quick recap of my MacBook Air experience:

A long, long time ago, I fell in love with a Mac Book Air...but I couldn't pull the trigger. $1800 was just too much for a laptop. So, I waited, and waited, and waited. And just before the second version of the MacBook Air came out, I bought a refurb Rev A MacBook Air. It was my primary computer for a LONG time.

It wasn't fast. Flash slowed my CPU to a crawl. The hard drive was little (80GB) and slow (4200 RPM), but I loved that computer anyway. It was a trusty computer, even for a refurb. It went with me wherever I went.

But times changed, and I started using a 27" iMac as my daily computer and my little MacBook Air only came out when I was on a train or a plane. But the MBA started to creak and moan a little too much, so I bought a new computer for traveling...11.6-Inch MacBook Air. And it was love at first boot. The computer is fast and graceful, and so tiny that it truly can go anywhere that you do. You never have to think about bringing your computer with you or not...it is so small that it isn't a consideration to NOT bring it.

Old MacBook Air:
Pros:

• Thin, light and easy to take with you.
• A "real" computer...not a netbook. No compromises with displays or functionality.
• Good battery life.

Cons:

• Battery life was just "good". I still need to take a charger with me.
• 13.3" is too big for most airline seats.
• Slow to start (waited a long time to wake up from sleep, slow connecting to WiFi).
• Long boot times.
• Long time to load apps.
• Creaked under 2GB RAM (or so I thought).
• Video playback is sketchy.

So, now I've got me a new MBA...and while it still has that new computer smell, let me tell you about it.

New MacBook Air

Pros:

• Speed - fast to boot, fast to wake up, fast to launch apps. (I thought the speed issues in my Rev A were RAM related? Now I am sure it is the poky hard drive).
• Size - this is so small that I never think "Should I take it with me?" Fits comfortably in any airline tray.
• Screen - Higher resolution, I think, than original MBA. Rented a movie (Scott Pilgrim...very good...fun flick) and and watched it with no fatigue...beautiful display.
• Great video playback.
• Great battery life (a real 5 hours...I still need to take a charger, but now it is for emergencies...)
• Great sound for such a small laptop.

The difference in price? I paid $999 for my refurb Rev A. I paid about $1149 for my brand new MBA. The difference between these two is far more than $150. The real difference is 2 years. Time has solved so many of the issues that plagued my original MBA. The new MBA is just a delicious machine. I can't tell you how much more I use it that I used my Rev A. My iMac is feeling neglected....

The Apple Magic Track Pad Review

OK...so maybe I am a sucker. Maybe I am an elitist, maybe I am stupid. Who knows, but I like Apple stuff. So, of course, when I had the opportunity to, I added the Apple Magic Trackpad to my iMac setup. (Yeah, I am old, I need new glasses and the 27" iMac screen is just the ticket for these tired eyes...).

I really like the Apple Magic Mouse that comes with the iMac, but the Magic Trackpad is new and silver...so I wanted it. And, in short, it is really pretty great:

1. It Is Like a Touchpad - But Bigger: The "working space" on the trackpad is terrific. It is ample to navigate large expanses of screen real estate. This makes it significantly easier than a mouse.
2. Finger Gestures are Excellent: The trackpad is just like using my iPhone. Pinch, stretch...they all work the same. Not that it is hard to be contextually aware of interface interactions, but it is nice to have consistency. My laptop, desktop, and phone all work the same way.

The Magic Trackpad does have some significant shortcomings:

1. It Is Not Magic: As much as I wanted the Magic Trackpad to transform my computing experience, the essential mouse navigation paradigm is in full effect. Navigation on my screen is the same...this was a little disappointing from a product that has magic in the name.
2. It Gets in the Way: My little wireless keyboard seems to bump into the trackpad often, sometimes causing unwanted clicks.
3. It Grabs Unintended Touches: I am not a touch typist. I am looking at the keyboard the entire time. That said, sometimes my little pinky hits the trackpad and changes the cursor position. This gets me towards typing somewhere else on the page. Drives me crazy. Makes me mad. Grrrr. I know this is more of an ergonomic issue than anything else, but I need to have the trackpad near the keyboard for efficiency reasons....haven't solved that issue yet.

So, there are two positives and three negatives. You'd think that this was a bad review. Well, guess what, the Apple Magic Trackpad isn't perfect, but I haven't touched my mouse in months. I tried using the mouse just yesterday and I felt as if I was writing with the wrong hand. It was unintuitive, noisy and required too much space. The Magic Trackpad ain't magic, but I won't take it off my desk.

ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, 20 GB E-Storage, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Only $267.99 after Rebate

So, I have been reluctant to jump into the netbook world because of price. Did I really want to pay $400 for a disposable computer? I discovered at Amazon today that I don't have to. This is a great Eee PC with all the trimmings, including the bigger 6 cell battery, all for $267.99 after a $100 rebate from Asus. I am stoked, and I will let you know how this great deal works!


ASUS Eee PC 901 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 20 GB Solid State Drive, 20 GB E-Storage, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Pearl White (this is an affiliate link)

CES Extravaganza

So, the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is a gadget bonanza. There are a billion new products coming out. There are a billion new announcements. Here are a select few that I think are exciting:

1. Netbooks: OK, OK OK, so they are all pretty much the same, sporting an Intel Atom, etc, etc, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They all run XP or some Linux distro that would make the average computer user cry. But have you actually used on of these things? One word: AWESOME. They are small, quick to start, and have good battery life. Yeah, the keyboards are bad, and the trackpad, mouse replacement thingies aren't great, but they are very useful. I haven't made the plunge yet, but I may for this: Sony Viao P . It has a Webcam, runs Vista (yeah? boo?), and is outrageously small. But get this, it weighs just 1.4 pounds. That is incredible. It has a good sized keyboard and has the usual Sony quality. Very intriguing. (Truth be told, I prefer the Mac OS, so I may opt for this as my "netbook" . Yeah, both the Viao P and refurb MacBook Air are spendy ($900 for the Viao and $999 for the refurb Air) but it feels like you get a laptop replacement with both rather than a laptop accessory. But the word at CES is netbooks everywhere. And, regardless of which you choose, or how much you pay, you are on the new edge of mobility.
2. Palm Pre : Hot new mobile phone with new OS from...Palm? Who woulda thunk it? This is hot. Touch, gesture and physical keyboard, always connected (?) OS with deep integration points like Facebook, etc. Great screen, great styling, and a unique inductive charger. Look, ma, no cables!  Hot, hot, hot. Coming out by the end of Q2. Big drawback...only on Sprint. Hmmmm.
3. Windows 7 Beta : OK, so I am a Mac guy (but I am writing this on a Vista machine) but MS announced a Windows 7 beta. Early reports say that is is better, snappier and more reliable than Vista. I read one review that said it was more satisfying at a low level and doesn't offer any whiz-bang features, but just works. Good approach. I hope that it is successful.

That seems like it. There is a watchphone , which looks interesting, and TVs that are .33 inches thick (hooray(?))

What would rock your gadget world?

Love or Hate it, This is What The MacBook Air Should Have Cost When It Came Out

OK, so I am a big Apple fan, and I have been REALLY intrigued by the MacBook Air. It suits me really well. I travel, I write, I need light and portable...so, I have always wanted to get a MacBook Air. And it was always too expensive.


It may have just dropped enough to make it buyable: Refurb Rev A MacBook Air from Apple $999 


My credit card is tingling....

Netbooks: Friend or Foe?

So, I almost bought a Asus Eee PC today. I travel a lot, and I am intrigued by a teeny tiny laptop that costs less than my iPhone did when I bought it. I guess, here is the rub: my iPhone does most of what I want the netbook to do. So, why do I want one?


It all comes down to typing. I want a small package with a usable keyboard. The iPhone is a terrific device, but I haven't mastered typing a long paragraph on it (I am a terrible typist, and it may not be the iPhone's fault). So, the keyboard is really enticing. That makes it my friend.


I have a USB Cellular Modem. That gives me anywhere access via 3G, plus WiFi through AT&T and Boingo. That gives me anywhere access to data. (Although I have that with my iPhone, it is Edge only and that can be very painful. And the iPhone doesn't support Flash...which makes me unable to keep up my affair with old episodes of The Pink Panther on Hulu.) So the netbook, with its gaudy anywhere data and Flash support, again, is my friend.


But here is where things start to fall apart. I am a business user. Powerpoint and Excel and Word run my life. Most of these devices support MS Works, or some kind of OpenOffice.org software. And while I can tolerate and use these kinds of Office alternatives, they aren't the real deal, and I continually run into other people having problem with the documents created via these applications. (This most often happens with PowerPoint clones). If the netbook can't run Office, it is my foe.


There are other issues, mainly with limited storage. I want my music, my video and my files with me. Who knows what you will need when you are on the road. I could take along a USB external drive, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of small and light? If it doesn't fit what I need it to fit, then it is my foe.


So, we are tied, 2 friendly characteristics and 2 foe-ish characteristics. Help me Gadget Guy Readers. While a modest purchase at just over $300, is a netbook a good purchase, or do I need to buy a MacBookAir to satisfy my light and lean desires?

Most Ridiculous Gadget That I have Ever Seen (ps: I want one)

Thanks to our friends over at Engadget.com :

Electric Paper Airplane Launcher :
It launches your paper airplane for you. No more elbow tendinitis for you! Overpower your office enemies with superior airpower! From UrbanOutfitters .